DATE=5/4/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=RUSSIAN MEDIA (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-262016
BYLINE=BARRY WOOD
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
INTERNET=YES
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Two young American journalists who put out an
irreverent English language weekly newspaper in Moscow
are worried about press freedom in Vladimir Putin's
Russia. V-O-A's Barry Wood reports on the visit to
Washington of the editors of the Moscow Exile.
TEXT: Matt Taibbi and Mark Ames are self-described
pranksters and humorists who have been living in
Russia for most of the past seven years. Together they
edit the Exile, a mostly satirical but occasionally
serious weekly with a circulation of 25 thousand. They
have many more readers-mostly in America--on their
Russian registered internet web-site.
Speaking at Washington's respected Center for
Strategic and International Studies, the two Americans
say flawed aid policies seen as supportive of Russia's
new ruling class of oligarchs have fueled rising anti-
Western sentiment. The two Americans have a low
opinion of incoming President Vladimir Putin, whose
allies-they believe- are using intimidation to extend
their control over the Russian news media. Mr. Ames
say independent journalists in Russia are like rabbits
cornered by wolves.
//Ames act//
As we said, in our opinion, there is only really
one hard-hitting opposition press outlet left.
And that is Novaya Gazeta. I mean, N-T-B
(television) has been defanged, Moscovsky
Komsomolets and Sovershenno Secretno have been
defanged.
//end act//
Mr. Taibbi believes his English-language newspaper has
escaped intimidation because it is so small it hasn't
been noticed in the Kremlin.
Mr. Taibbi believes the International Monetary Fund
has made the economic situation in Russia worse not
better.
//Taibbi act//
One of our big criticisms has been, that the I-
M-F, during the mid-1990s there was a lot of I-
M-F money in town and a lot of it went to
American and European consultants who were
living on exhorbitant salaries and per diems.
And meanwhile these same people were giving
advice to the Russian government to lay off
thousands or even millions of people. This is
something that Russians did not miss. I mean
this was a very ugly thing. I mean to see
westerners coming in and making a lot of money
and then being told that they had to fire their
own people.
//end act//
The two Americans describe a new Russia in which
cynicism and criminality are rampant. They suggest
that because the situation is so dire humor is an
essential coping mechanism. (signed)
NEB/BDW/PT
04-May-2000 20:14 PM EDT (05-May-2000 0014 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.